The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for creating homogeneous charge compression ignition and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for creating such homogenous charge compression ignition within a cylinder of an engine.
Homogeneous charge compression ignition typically requires the combustion of a mixture of fuel and air within an engine cylinder by an increase of pressure within the cylinder, thereby obviating the need for a spark plug or similar type of device or assembly. While this approach does allow for a more efficient operation of the engine and a concomitant reduction in undesirable emissions, current implementations have several undesirable drawbacks.
For example, some of these current implementations cause severe knock and engine component damage due to their inability to cause the ignition to occur at a predetermined or controlled time, thereby causing the ignition to occur, by way of example and without limitation, as the piston is beginning to and/or continuing to upwardly move in the cylinder, thereby causing an xe2x80x9cearly ignitionxe2x80x9d (e.g., an ignition occurring far in advance of the piston occupying a xe2x80x9ctop dead centerxe2x80x9d position) and thereby causing the previously delineated knock and component damage. Other of these current implementations require a heating of air which is initially communicated into the cylinder and/or the addition of relatively large amounts of combustion or ignition produced by-products or xe2x80x9cEGRxe2x80x9d to the fuel which is also initially communicated to the cylinder. These approaches reduce power by decreasing or displacing oxygen, do not reliably provide such desired ignition when relatively high engine power is required, and may also provide ignition far in advance of the piston occupying the top dead center position. To overcome these previously delineated drawbacks, other implementations utilize a relatively costly and complicated xe2x80x9cboost pistonxe2x80x9d arrangement.
There is therefore a need for a method and an apparatus for providing such desired ignition and which overcomes at least some of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior methods and apparatuses.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for providing and/or creating homogeneous charge compression ignition in a manner which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior methods, apparatuses, and implementations.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for providing homogeneous charge compression ignition in a cost-effective manner and without increasing the likelihood of undesirable knock and/or damage to the engine.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for providing homogeneous charge compression ignition by the selective introduction of relatively high pressure and high temperature material as a piston reaches a top dead center position.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an assembly is provided for use with a cylinder containing a piston which is movable from a first position to a top dead center position. The assembly includes a valve assembly which is coupled to material and which injects the material into the cylinder as the piston is moved to the top dead center position.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method is provided. The method is effective to selectively ignite a mixture of fuel and air within a cylinder which movably contains a piston. The method includes the steps of injecting material into the cylinder as the piston moves to a top dead center position, thereby igniting the mixture.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.